The present invention relates to a cigarette stacking method and apparatus thereof, which are to be used in one process prior to the process for enclosing cigarette pieces in a package.
As known, cigarette pieces are enclosed in a package in the piled-up state to form honeycomb patterns, for example, 7 pieces, 6 pieces and 7 pieces. It is of a vital importance for a cigarette packing to pile up the cigarette pieces without incurring much impact thereto and deliver the piled-up cigarettes to the succeeding process while maintaining the piled-up state as it is.
In the prior art, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Post-Examination Publication No. 47(1972)-8600 and Japanese Patent Application Early Publication No. 57(1982)-198082, when the top, intermediate and bottom cigarette groups are to be received on the stacking drum, the bottom cigarette groups which were received in advance cannot be maintained sufficiently. Therefore, troubles are apt to occur when the top cigarette groups are received which results in low productivity. Moreover, when the cigarette groups piled up in three layers, i.e., top, intermediate and bottom easily collapse, since the maintenance of cigarette pieces in each layer is not complete. This often creates troubles in the following process.
Furthermore, when the cigarette pieces in each layer are received on the stacking drum, the delivering and receiving speed are not in accord. Therefore, a good balanced piling up of cigarette pieces cannot be obtained, thus endangering the stability of the stacked cigarette pieces.